


Unexpected || Niall Horan AU

by prismdreams



Series: 1DFF Valentine's Day Challenge [1]
Category: One Direction (Band), niall horan - Fandom
Genre: 1DFF, 1dffchallenges, 1dffvalentineschallenge, Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Love, Niall smut, Oneshot, POV Female Character, POV Niall Horan, Romance, Short One Shot, Smut, niall au, niall love story, one direction - Freeform, valentines day
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:26:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 19,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29435301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prismdreams/pseuds/prismdreams
Summary: "What?""Why are you here?""To find love." He smirked."Do you have any idea how strange that sounds?""Could ask the same of you?""Neither here nor there." She raised her brow.Niall looked at her and tapped his chin, "Ya wanna get out of here?"Ariel blinked at this guy's tenacity. "Oh hell no.""I'm not what ya thinking. What do ya say?"Ariel pursed her lips, staring at him, trying to read his mind, all he did was smile like he had a secret."Meet me outside when you've had enough, love." He winked.Written for 1dff Valentine's Day Challenge. Full Summary inside. NiallxOC AU.
Relationships: Niall Horan & Original Female Character(s), Niall Horan/Original Female Character(s)
Series: 1DFF Valentine's Day Challenge [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2162724
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**  
**

**Summary:** Notwanting her to spend Valentine's Day alone, Ariel Lancaster's friends dragged her to a speed dating contest, unaware if she was ever going to get out of her romantic rut.

NiallxOC AU

Written for the **_1dff Valentine's Day Challenge_** on tumblr.

 **Prompt:** _first attempt at speed dating_

 **Dialogue:** _"Yes, I got your letter."_

_  
_

* * *

Ariel Lancaster pulled out of her daydreaming and back into her friend's boring conversation.

They all had this lame idea to try speed dating near the local shopping complex. But this one was going to be held at the restaurant. Ariel had better plans but her friends weren't having it. This had to be the _worst_ idea they came up with to help her get over her ex-boyfriend.

It's not like they'll understand or anything. Her ex was a part of her life since high school, most of their "relationships" never made it past the club mixers they often went to. This was no different.

Ariel tagged along in one of her most casual outfits, she hadn't bothered with a full face of makeup, because, _who cares?_ She thought. Not as if she had anyone to impress. It's just going to be a bunch of thirsty losers looking to get their cocks wet.

She could use it to her advantage, actually play along, pretend to find a warm body for the night. It was almost 6 pm, if she got plastered, maybe it won't be so bad.

After she signed her name and number on the sheet, the hosts gave her a really square name tag and she fake smiled going straight to the bar. Her friends paid for her just in case she bolted.

"So long as you keep these coming," she said, raising her drink, mock smiling. "I'm not going anywhere."

Her friends rolled their eyes, got their drinks, and separated as she made her way to the first table she was instructed to. Ariel gulped her drink but paced herself. She looked around as she saw a group of guys walking in, all of them solid 3s. Yeah, she was being a cunt, but seriously, any high-quality guys are nowhere to be found here.

In a few minutes, the place was packed, Ariel couldn't breathe as the first guy kept staring at her creepily.

"Hey there," he said, his name was Todd. _Why is everyone gross named Todd?_ She thought.

He checked the time on his phone and grinned, opening his mouth, showing his capped white rabbit teeth.

Ariel cleared her throat, "Hi,"

"Are you shy or something, doll?"

She bugged her eyes, staring down as she face-palmed herself. "Nope."

"You look like a fun girl. Ever been in a Rolls-Royce?"

 _Okay, this fucker had money, he could be lying for all I know,_ she thought. "Not really."

"Well, mine is outside—" He was interrupted by the bell, which meant he had to get up and go to the next table.

Shrugging, he got up, "Your loss babe."

Ariel cringed, watching him go and the next guy came to sit down in his place.

"Hiya, blimey, you're bloody gorgeous," he said in a vaguely British accent. "What are you doing tonight, love?"

"I may be busy," she shrugged, he wasn't that creepy but he was a little desperate, still put her guard up, sipping her drink.

"Well, if ya change your mind, fancy some dinner? Am a chief. I'll cook you a meal as lovely as you." He said with complete confidence, taking his business card out and placed it in front of her.

She gave an uncomfortable smile, watching him get up, winking at her as he went to the next table.

The next guy sat down, tall, looked about 6'3", everything about this guy screamed masculine. Then he opened his mouth...

"I have the softest car here if you wanna have a quickie. If you wanna choke me, that's a bonus."

"Hard pass." She rolled her eyes and downed the rest of her drink, signaling to the bartender she wanted another.

He came over and dropped a new one, taking the old glass, and turning away.

"Why do I get the feeling you're a tomcat?" The greasy Brooklyn guy really needed to cool himself down.

She was about to castrate him figuratively when they were interrupted by another man.

Ariel's lips parted, she kept staring at him as he approached the table.

"Believe it's my turn, piss off mate." He said in a low Irish accent to the guy who looked like he wanted to jump him. He could, he had 7 inches over him easily.

But the Brooklyn asshat left just as the bell rang. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Ariel gazed at the man as he sat down, soft blond hair carelessly styled off his forehead, his strong blue eyes bore into hers as he stared at her with an amused smile. Ariel looked to his chest and noticed he wasn't wearing a name tag. _What the fuck is going on?_ She thought.

"Hello, ya alright?" His deep Irish accent reverberated.

* * *

Niall Horan realized this was the _last_ time he was going to be set up by one of his mates. Not that he really needed or cared to date anyone, supposed it was pressure to find someone. It's all a bunch of bullocks, anyway.

As he walked to the restaurant he noticed signs that read **SPEED DATING THIS WAY** and he rolled his eyes.

Did people actually buy into this shit? Apparently, they did as a group of girls walked by him, one, a brunette, deep emerald eyes, almost cat-like wearing a scowl as she tagged behind her friends who were clearly more interested than she. She didn't say anything, just crossed her arms, her green jacket bunching as she did. She seemed sad but it wasn't Niall's problem.

He scoffed and got a table for two in the back of the dim restaurant, getting his drink order out of the way. Once it came, he checked the time and looked around the area.

He thought about texting the girl he was meant to meet but declined. No need to seem desperate on the first date.

He was only half-interested in this working out. Mutual friends don't really make him hold his breath. If he got laid, okay, but he prayed she wasn't a psycho if she showed up.

It's been about 15 minutes, it could be a maintenance thing, knowing girls, but he had better things to do. In five minutes if she doesn't make an appearance, he'd jet without another look. Probably head out to the club, actually guarantee some action on a Friday night.

He walked up to the bar to pay for his drink and got a validation when he paused. It was that girl from before. Cat eyes, she rubbed the back of her neck, looking extremely uncomfortable. The giant bloke sitting opposite from her was more than likely responsible for it. Not his problem, but he wasn't an ass, the guy was practically harassing her and all Niall could do was look back at the girl in mental pain.

This _wasn't_ right...Niall charged forward toward the table, having no clue what he was doing, but he knew he had to do something.

"Believe it's my turn. Piss off, mate," Niall said, seizing the guy up.

He stared him down and stood his ground with mild apprehension. He actually won this one with minimal brooding. This guy was braun but no balls, Niall could tell. Being shorter than he, he could probably kick this guy in the balls and call it a night.

He barely caught the girl's surprised expression as the guy stepped off and he sat in his place, having no idea what he's going to do next. The girl, **ARIEL** , on her name tag kept staring at him, her eyes dropped to his chest then back up in confusion.

"Hello, ya alright?"

She blushed into an awkward laugh, finding it difficult to speak. Niall laughed along with her, breaking the ice, feeling the exact same as her.

"O K, well, that was...not quite sure what that was."

"Well, could see ya weren't interested in the bloke. Looked a little too fresh in me eyes."

Ariel stared at him, scoffing.

"What?"

" _Why_ are you here?"

"To find love." He smirked.

"Do you have any idea how _strange_ that sounds?"

"Could ask the same of you?"

"Neither here nor there." She raised her brow.

Niall looked at her and tapped his chin, "Ya wanna get out of here?"

Ariel blinked at this guy's tenacity. "Oh _hell_ no."

"I'm not what ya thinking. What do ya say?"

Ariel pursed her lips, staring at him, trying to read his mind, all he did was smile like he had a secret.

"Meet me outside when you've had enough, love." He winked.

She watched him stand up and make his way over to the bartender, asking for a paper slip, wrote something down, and handed it to him. With that, he left, without looking back at her.

Ariel narrowed her eyes and grabbed her purse, not knowing what the hell was going on but more than willing to find out.

A whistle was heard as the bartender held up a folded note pointing it in her direction. She went to the bar, grabbed the letter, and read it.

 _Hey Mermaid Girl,_  
_Bring your cat-eyes outside_  
❤️ ** _Niall (the blond bloke who came to your rescue)_**

Ariel rolled her eyes at the mermaid jokes, is this guy for real? Why would she ever come outside with a stranger?

Maybe the curiosity got the better of her. She bit her lip, staring out the exit. Before she could think, she walked outside and looked at both sides of the doorway. Nothing.

"Jesus, am I being stood up?"

"It's _Niall_ , and _don't_ remind me." She heard the Irish guy, Niall, say behind her.

She smirked, turned around, "You think you're _so_ slick."

She held up the folded paper between her fingers. "Care to explain?"

"You—"

"Yes, I got your letter. Tell me if this is a joke right now so I can get outta here."

Niall laughed, throwing his head back, "Do ya think if I was mad I would try to score ya?"

"So I'm just supposed to trust you?"

He shrugged, blond hair flying in the breeze. "Your choice, love. You chose to come out and I promised to take ya out of here."

She narrowed her eyes, "Where?"

He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it, but she just stared at it.

"I have no idea what's going on."

"I know, neither do I." He smirked, keeping his hand extended to her.

"This is absolutely the _craziest_ thing I've ever done." She shook her head in disbelief, slipping her hand in his.

"First time for everything, suppose," Niall said, leading her to his dark green Range Rover.

She looked at him as he opened the door for her, smiled, and got in. He went around to the driver's seat and got in, both buckling up.

Niall switched on the lights and turned on the engine, the heater flipped on automatically at full blast. He turned to her, wincing.

"Sorry, I uh, it was freezing when I drove here. Like it kinda hot." He rubbed the back of his neck, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Feel free, it's getting a little cold outside." She said, staring at his profile, the dark stubble on his jaw and chest hair off the top of his collar shirt indicating he wasn't a natural blond.

He shared a look with her before getting on the road, driving to nowhere in particular, "Fair play, were you really gonna stay until the end with all those dodgy blokes trying to score ya?"

"More than likely not. Which is weird because I was in the mood for something a little..."

He looked at her briefly.

"... _distracting._ Planned on getting so drunk that if I did wind up with a guy, I won't remember anything."

"That woulda been a good craic."

Ariel smiled at his sarcasm, looking out the window as she bit her lip. "So any particular reason for my rescue tonight?"

"I needed a reason?" He asked, staring at her, making a turn.

"Well...it _was_ out of nowhere. The guy would have left anyway. That's why they call it _speed_ dating."

Niall made a turn on the freeway and merged with the traffic, "Could tell ya didn't wanna be there. Saw ya at the start, your mates weren't about to skip out, you just looked sad. Dunno, felt wrong, suppose."

Interesting that he was watching her, she didn't know whether to be scared or a little intrigued that he cared.

"Wouldn't have been worth it to trade blows with that guy you challenged."

"Any fight is worth it. Can't waste a proper punch."

 _"Right,"_ She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and cleared her throat, "So, where are we going?"

"Wherever, just away. Where would ya like to go?"

Ariel scoffed into a smile, "Are you kidding? I thought you knew where to go?"

"Don't like living by the rules. Be in the moment. Life would be better without all the fucking rules. Kills off the pressures too."

Ariel shook her head, clucking her tongue, "So if I told you let's crash a hotel pool after hours, you'd, what, actually _go?"_

Niall smiled, lifting his eyebrows.

"That's _fucked_ up."

Niall suddenly made a U-Turn flipping around the stoplight, "Pretty sure I saw a _Marriott Courtyard_ a few streets back. Feeling daring, love?"

Ariel's eyes bugged out as she held onto the armrest, "You're insane. I'm _not_ doing that."

"Hey, it's _your_ idea, let's see if ya got game." He winked at her.

"And if we get caught?"

He shrugged, "Fuck all, who cares if we get caught?"

"I care," she said, he looked at her like he didn't believe her.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a little excitement?"

She glared at him, her scowl returning, "Ugh!" She held her hands up. " _Can't_ believe you're making me do this."

He gritted his teeth, rolled his eyes, and stopped at an intersection.

"Look, I'll be sound with ya. I'm not normally this spontaneous. In fact, most of me life has a pretty rigorous schedule. For once, it'd be a nice change to leave it to the wind. Feel like losing the plot a bit tonight."

Ariel watched as he pulled up to the parking lot of the courtyard, looking deserted. There was an ominous feeling in the air, and Ariel didn't like it. Niall on the other hand was like a kid willing to risk getting arrested.

"You better know a good lawyer." She said, opening the door and meeting him on the other end.

"Shut up, Mermaid Girl, you're annoying, ya know that?"

Ariel crossed her arms as he locked his car.

The weather became slightly warmer but stayed in the 60s. Niall automatically took her hand and they walked to find out where the side gate was. They found it but Ariel had second thoughts.

"Wait," she said, just as he was climbing the locked gate. "Shouldn't we think about this before committing a crime?"

"Where's your fun? If we're quiet, we won't get caught. Follow me lead. Promise." He turned around and hopped the gate easily.

Ariel gulped and moved forward, having no idea how she was going to get to the other side. "Umm, yeah, I _can't_ do this."

Niall looked at her like he was bored, "Sure ya can. Just step on there," he gestured to the step rock that was on the side. "I didn't cause I got inches on ya. Use it to hop over and I got ya on the other end. You won't fall, trust me?"

Ariel's eyes narrowed, "Not particularly."

"I'll give ya a surprise if ya come over."

"Tell me what it is now?"

"No, prove you're worthy of it. You're not scared, are ya?" He smiled, goading her.

Ariel rolled her eyes, "Not scared of anything."

Niall beaconed her with his finger and stood from a distance but kept close in case. "Am waiting."

She took a breath and hoisted herself up on the stone step with slight ease, she wasn't thinking about the height from it, being barely five feet above the ground. She looked to the gate and climbed on top, hesitating before she jumped into Niall's grip.

"Got ya, see, that was easy, yeh?" He asked, staring at her for a moment as he held her securely.

She smiled shyly, seeing his eyes up close. Not knowing quite sure where she was for a minute. "Sure, umm, thanks."

"No problem," he said, awkwardly releasing her as she stood up. "Alright, let's go check it out. Just be quiet."

Ariel brought her finger to her lips and followed him to the pool area, she wasn't going to lie, it did look pretty good.

"Wanna get in?" Niall asked her, taking off his jacket, placing it on the beach chairs.

She blushed, just thinking that but getting nervous as she felt his eyes on her.

"Umm, I don't have a suit."

"Don't need one. Strip down to your bra and pants, er, panties. Don't wanna get your clothes wet. They got towels over there." He pointed behind her. "We should be grand."

She laughed, "Didn't take long for you to ask me to take off my clothes."

Niall scoffed, "Fine, don't, I'm going in, this looks good to me. Came this far..."

He finished stripping down and winked at her before jumping in the deep end. He did that guy thing where he slicked his hair back and shook it out like a dog. _Why do all guys do that?_ She thought, partly staring at his well-toned arms.

"So you're just gonna stand there and watch me, yeh?"

Ariel sighed, it was really tempting and this whole scene turned her on in more ways than one. She grumbled, taking off her clothes one by one, leaving on her panties and bra.

She walked to the deep end and hesitated before dipping her toe in the water, rolling her eyes at how lame she was being.

"Alright, I'll call it, time of death half past 9 pm." Niall chuckled. "Just fucking get in, babe."

"Shut up, making sure it's not freezing." She confirmed.

"Just dive in. It won't be, it's actually is really warm."

Ariel stared at him, backing away as she jumped with a slight scream. She fought to resurface her body and screamed again as she saw Niall's face close to hers.

She emerged, smoothing her hair back, her breathing sped up, and her heart raced. "That's _not_ funny."

Niall splashed her, "Oh, it's hilarious, love. Cracking meself up here."

She went after him trying to get him underwater but he was too quick and dunked his head under, swimming underneath her. She felt him and blushed. Good thing he couldn't see her.

"Boo!" Niall said in her ear. "Looking for me?"

She turned around and grabbed his hair, holding him in place. "Got ya."

"Let meself get caught, only cuz ya joined me," he winked, moving closer. "Thanks, Mermaid Girl."

Ariel bit her lip, he was awfully close and he wasn't backing away, and she wasn't pushing him away. "Niall?"

"Hmm?"

She swallowed, feeling him touch her arm underwater to steady her, "What did you mean earlier?"

"What's that, love?" He asked, feeling her release the grip she had on his hair.

"When I asked if I was being stood up, you said, "don't remind me." What did you mean by that?" Ariel inquired, suddenly wanting to genuinely know.

Niall's lips parted, he moved away slightly, "Oh, yeah, _that._ Honestly, got stood up tonight."

"Oh," Ariel's lips pursed, her face fell, she completely removed her hand from his hair and swam to the shallow end near the steps, feeling Niall on her tail. "If that was me? I would have been mad. Why didn't you leave?"

Niall placed his hands behind his back, "Well, that was the moment I saw you."

She bit the inside of her lip, moving her long, wet hair from her shoulder. "You really didn't have to save me tonight."

"I wanted to," he said softly, staring at her, looking away. "Just because I got hurt didn't mean someone else should."

She gazed at him, feeling tingles in her stomach as she smiled at him, still with his face away from her.

She reached out and turned his face to meet hers. "I'm sorry you were hurt. Her loss."

Niall covered his hand over hers on his cheek. "Like to think of it as a gain."

Ariel's lips curved gently, she stared at his lips then found his eyes looking at her lips. "I guess so."

They leaned closer to each other, feeling warmer as every inch closed in. Ariel gasped, thinking she heard a door open briskly.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Niall asked, touching her shoulder. "Ariel?"

She looked around the facility and breathed again, "Thought I heard someone. I'm super paranoid about these things."

Niall nodded, understanding, "Alright, ya wanna get going?"

"Just to be safe, that okay?"

"Of course. Wasn't gonna get ya into any trouble, a man of me word." He smirked, offering his hand to her, she took it and they got out, made their way to the towels to dry off.

They toweled off and dressed. Niall helped her climb the gate and he came after her, she giggled as she watched him almost fall trying to keep up with her.

She ran to his car, her wet hair becoming bristles. "I win!"

Niall breathed hard, "Let you win, _big_ difference, love."

"It's completely okay. That thing was scary, wasn't it?" She asked, raising her brow.

"Fuck off." He scoffed, watching her huddle her shoulders, "So...it's getting cold, we should get inside."

Ariel nodded as Niall unlocked and opened her door. She smiled and got in, with him running around to his end, getting in. He pulled away, driving out of the lot and back on the road.

"So, where to? Got any ideas how you wanna spend Valentine's Day?"

Ariel fixed the collar on her jacket, pulling her damp hair out. "Not sure, that got my pulse beating pretty fast. Might wanna slow it down a little."

"Fair play." He said, changing streets, thinking. "Wanna go to a bakery?"

"Which one?"

He pointed to the street over when he turned left, "Just off this corner. I go there every morning. They're 24 hours, ya wanna?"

"Sounds good. Could use something sweet."

"I'm smellin' the place from here."

Niall pulled into the lot and parked near the store. He got out and Ariel joined him, hesitating to take his hand. He looked at her and calmly held her hand, she stared at him, smiling softly, blushing.

"Your hand is very warm," she commented.

"Wait until you feel the rest of me." He winked, she rolled her eyes.

They walked inside and Ariel's nose went into overdrive. She looked at Niall and grinned, walking up to the glass window to see all the various pastries, muffins, scones, cupcakes, pies. The absolute works of sweets land. She felt like she died and gone to sugar heaven.

"Alright, can I please _live_ here?! This place is insane!" She exclaimed, watching Niall greet the staff and manager.

They handed him some cookies and what looked like a mini box. He opened it and gave the thumbs up, and a warm hug to everyone in the store. Ariel smiled, blushing as she saw Niall take the time to talk to them, most guys wouldn't do that to small business owners, it was rare to see it happen. Niall seemed to have a flare with regular everyday people.

She joined him at an open table as he took out a small, decorative cupcake from inside the box, placing it on the plate. She looked at it strangely. Colors of green, red, and pink adorned the frosting. It looked custom made, almost created just for him.

"Are we celebrating Valentine's Day?"

Niall shook his head. "Nope, oh wait, almost forgot." He went to get a lighter and a small birthday cake candle. He placed the candle in the center, lighting it, and moved the cake closer to her.

She gave him a curious look, the corners of her mouth lifting, "It's not my birthday."

"I know that. It's to celebrate today."

Ariel raised her brow.

"Best love is yourself, celebrate it. Fuck Valentine's Day. Do whatcha want, I say."

She laughed, finding it hard to take him seriously, "That is the _weirdest_ thing to celebrate today."

Niall shrugged, "Fair play, I'll eat it."

He pushed it toward him but she placed her hand over his. "Hold on. Never said I didn't want it. Let's share it."

"Alright, make a wish."

"It's not a birthday wish?"

Niall rolled his eyes, "No, let's do it together."

Ariel pursed her lips, smirking and closed her eyes as she made a wish, "Okay, you ready?"

"Yep, are ya?"

They leaned forward and blew out the candle, her eyes locked on his as the smoke from the candle seemed to circle his shimmering blue iris. She had her hand still over his and watched as she turned it over, firmly holding her hand in his.

"Hope it was a good one."

"Would be a waste if it wasn't."

He leaned back with a smile and took the candle out, licking the bottom. He took the knife and divided the cupcake into two halves, taking his end, urging her to do the same.

Ariel opted for the spoon and took a piece of cake, eating it as she closed her eyes. "Damn, this is perfect."

He bit into his piece, licking his lips for any frosting remains. "Thought you might like it."

She devoured her piece and saw the milk beside her. "You _so_ planned this."

 _"Right,_ this was my whole master plan. Like this entire night has been proper predictable. Never once asked ya where you wanted to go."

She took the glass and tilted it for a small sip, "I'm actually having fun tonight, surprisingly."

Niall drank his own glass, slipping his hand into hers, "I'm glad, so am I."

Ariel broke eye contact, feeling so many emotions at once, she didn't know where to start.

A song played on the radio in the kitchen area, the bakers and cashiers all turned up the volume, getting ready to dance.

Ariel blushed, shaking her head at the weirdness around her. The workers seemed to not have a care in the world.

Niall caught her eye and offered his hand to her. "Care to dance?"

"Are you serious? We're not in high school anymore."

"Well, I wanna dance and I'm not dancing alone. Come on, love." He nodded to the open area where everyone was dancing.

"I can't dance."

"You don't have to, just lean on me." He said, standing up, holding his hand out.

Ariel twitched her mouth and sighed, "Cannot believe—"

"...you're doing this? Yeh, I know. Follow my lead. Stay close to me, I got ya."

Ariel swallowed down her nervousness as she placed her hands around Niall's neck, as he put his arms around her waist. She bit her lip, staring into his eyes as they swayed to the music, Ariel tried not to step on his feet. He could tell she was trying her best and turned red under the fluorescent lights.

"Why do I feel like we're traveling through time?" She asked, finding her fingers lightly touching the hair on the back of his neck.

"Nostalgia hits ya deep, suppose. Can't beat these classics. Constant reminders of what's still there."

"You think so? Just feels bittersweet to me. More of a reminder of what's been lost."

"Don't choose to look at it that way. One setback doesn't mean it's over."

She smiled slightly, "I guess."

Niall took one hand and turned her chin up so he was looking at her. "You okay?"

Ariel shifted her eyes from his lips then back on his eyes. "Yeah, sorry, I'm bringing the mood down, aren't I?"

He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Lean your head against me, close your eyes if you like."

As he pulled away she moved forward, feeling the urge to kiss him. Instead, her nerves began taking over, she leaned against his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat thump in a serene rhythm. Her eyes drifted off until she was limp in his arms, nearly falling over.

"Sorry...told you I can't dance."

"It's alright, love. Song's over, just lean on me and I'll carry ya back. It's okay." He cooed in her ear, feeling her body fall to dreamland.

Niall caught her gently, nodding for the staff to open the door for them. He cradled her in his arms, carrying her to his car, placing her in the passenger seat, leaning the chair slightly back to make her comfortable.

He stroked her cheek, moving her hair from her face, her eyes still closed. He smiled, shutting the door, and ran to the other side, turning on the engine, making sure the heater was decent.

He leaned his chair back as he gazed at her, watching her blinking her eyes open until they stayed open.

"Hi..." she whispered, looking slightly surprised to see him.

"Hello."

Ariel moaned then slowly sat up looking around the car, "What happened?"

He put up his chair and blushed, "I think I suggested that you should relax and you took me seriously. What were you thinking about just now?"

Ariel sat up straight and her hair out of her eyes, "I wasn't thinking really anything." She said, staring at him. "Think the nostalgia brought me there. I didn't have a care in the world. Made me feel young again, like I can do anything, be anything, have anything."

He smiled, touching her hand, feeling her respond. "It's a good feeling."

Ariel sighed, looking down at his hand holding hers. "I wonder...if it could be real? Not just a dream."

With his free hand, his fingertips touched her face, as she lifted her head to glance at him. "Why not?"

They began moving forward, feeling their hearts racing, breathing quickening, eyes glazing over. Niall placed his hand gently in her hair, brushing it back as they came closer to each other, desire winning the game for once.

Ariel brushed her lips over his, feeling his lips brush back. She breathed against his mouth, leaning in the rest of the way, touching her lips on his, feeling him claim hers even stronger than she had.

She opened her mouth when his tongue touched in between her lips, feeling his tongue slide inside completely, brushing hers, hands moving to cup his cheek. Just when it started to grow heated, Ariel pulled away, catching her breath. Niall's breathing trying to keep up with hers.

"Are ya alright, love?"

Ariel licked her lips and pulled away, sinking to the chair, laying back, hands covering her face.

"I'm sorry."

He narrowed his eyes, "Why?"

"I don't know, it's just unexpected, I—"

"Do ya want me to drive ya home?"

Ariel whipped her head to him, "Umm, no, I don't know. I'm just a little surprised right now."

"I see, well, where do you wanna go, love?"

She fiddled with her hands, frowning, feeling embarrassed, maybe she could redeem herself some way, "Somewhere nice, maybe a view. Do you know any?"

"I do," Niall said and placed the car in drive, pulling out of the parking lot. "Me rooftop has an amazing view of all the islands here. I don't look at it enough."

Ariel brought her fingers to her lips, feeling the heat where they kissed a moment ago, barely listening to anything he had said. "So, you're taking me back to your place?"

"Me roof, do you wanna come to me place?"

Ariel smirked, "I'll get back to you on that."

Niall briefly looked at her with a grin, "Just a few minutes and we'll be there."

They made to his building, it had a loft atmosphere to it, even the garage looked fancy. _Did Niall come from money?_ She asked herself. Even if he did, she wouldn't judge him on it. So far, he hadn't given her a reason to doubt him. His whole fashion sense was tough, rough around the edges. A bit of a '90s motorcycle grunge style, complete with his thick hair in his eyes. Her hands longed to touch it again. The softness would feel amazing between her fingers.

They got out and walked to the elevator. Niall pushed for his floor and they waited. They got in, Ariel wanted to hold his hand, but instead, rubbed her neck, clasping her hands together.

Niall saw her body language, smirked, and leaned next to her ear.

"We're almost there. Just gotta go up to mine and we'll be there after."

Ariel shivered, Niall's deep Irish accent smothered her body in a warmth that turned her into jelly. She wanted to finish what they started in his car but she controlled herself until they reached his floor.

When they arrived, Niall led the way to his condominium, opening the door, tossing his keys on the counter. Ariel looked around but didn't step in. She held her hands behind her back and winced as he looked at her.

"Ya alright? You can come in yanno?"

She blushed, walking inside, and shut the door as she leaned against it.

He gave an amused smile as he checked his mail, "Well, least ya came in. Points for effort."

"Yeah..." She said, bit her lip, watching him drop the mail and walk over to her, running his fingers through his hair.

"So—"

Suddenly, he looked incredibly delicious. Ariel took a deep breath and grabbed him by his jacket collar, smashing her greedy lips over his, mail letters dropping down.

She opened her mouth and slid her tongue through his lips, lightly biting on his bottom lip. He groaned and pressed his lips over hers, passionately sliding his tongue to chase hers, finding her desires.

He nibbled on her lip and she smiled into another kiss, pulling away to catch her breath. He placed a soft kiss against her lips, cupping her face.

"Well, hello there, love. What was that for?" Niall asked, cupping her face, brushing his lips on hers.

"Because I can't stop myself, sorry," she whispered, biting her lip.

His thumb brushed her bottom lip, "Don't apologize, love. Neither can I, honestly."

"I don't do things like this... _ever."_

"Until now," Niall said, pulling away and held her hands, swinging them up to press a kiss on them.

"Ready to come up with me?"

"The roof?"

"Uhuh, there might be a little surprise when we get there."

"What kinda surprise?"

"Dunno, let's go find out." He winked, grabbing his keys and holding onto her hand strongly.

Niall lived on the top floor, his roof was only a single staircase away, he stared back at her as he led her up to the roof entrance, opening the door.

She walked out first, with him right behind her in complete awe of all New York had to offer. She'd seen views before but never like this. The Brooklyn Bridge, Staten Island, Long Island, and Manhattan all in one spectacular family of multicolors. It was surreal, seeing the cities married together like this, being here, and witnessing just how beautiful this place is.

Something loud and shimmering shot up in the sky, it was a firework, a red heart with a white arrow shooting through it.

"Oh my god!" Ariel exclaimed, pointing to the full fireworks show on display as the next one burst bombastically, lighting up the sky. "This is absolutely beautiful! They're _so_ huge!"

Niall smiled, moving behind Ariel, slyly slipping his arms around her waist, bringing her flush against him. He leaned his chin on her shoulder, staring at her gorgeous profile as she turned her face briefly to catch his eyes.

For a few moments, they stood in each other's arms, watching each stunning illuminating explosion as they came and went, each one getting bigger and more vibrant than the next. Niall pressed his lips against her cheek, hearing her moan as she held onto his arms that were holding her.

"This night has been..."

"...perfect?" He said, finishing her sentence. "Yeh, as night's go, don't want it to end, honestly."

The show came to end, Niall and Ariel still held each other, breathing rhythmically, enjoying the moment in front of them, letting it linger.

"Living in the moment...I get it now. It feels better with you, though." She said, turning her face to see him staring back at her.

"I know...why can't tonight be longer?"

Ariel blushed, looking down briefly, "That's what I wished for."

He gazed at her lips, dragging his tongue over his own. "That right?"

She nodded.

"Wanna know mine?"

Her eyes shined back on him as she nodded slightly.

"I wished that you were safe and happy, whatever you did tonight."

She smiled, feeling her face light up seeing him smile, "Can't imagine this night without you."

He breathed heavily, "Yeah...me too."

She turned around, her eyes never leaving his, holding his hands up as she trailed her hands up his arms, inching their way up his warm chest to cup his face, feeling the slight stubble that was like sandpaper against her hand, but she didn't care.

"Can tonight never end? Please?"

Niall visibly swallowed, "I'll try my best, love. Promise."

Ariel shivered, Niall instantly took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders.

"Let's get inside, love. Starting to get cold now."

She smelled the jacket and caressed his cheek, smiled softly, "Okay."

She took his hand and they walked back, staring at each other with sly smiles. Niall opened his door and led her inside. Ariel took a deep breath, loving the vanilla mint aroma around his condo. She looked behind her and saw him lighting a few candles, placing them on the counter. He caught her eye, winking at her.

"Do you think the mood is right?" She asked him with a playful smile.

"Dunno, might need more candles. Ya think?" He said, staring at his jacket over her shoulders. "Me jacket looks great on you."

Ariel felt the sleeves of his jacket, shrugging, "It's a little big, but, I guess that's the point. You weren't lying, you're really warm."

He blushed, Ariel found it hard to look away, Niall wore his heart on his sleeve.

Niall sighed, rubbing his neck, "I really wanna kiss ya again."

She moved around the counter, following his eyes as they scaled up her body, meeting her face. She reached out to touch his cheek as he pressed a kiss inside of her palm.

"Go ahead," she said above a whisper, her voice dropping an octave.

He brought his hands to her face, stroking her cheeks, cupping her jaw as he felt her nervousness seep through, "5 hours I've known ya feels like a long time."

"Is that a good thing?" She asked, brushing her lips over his.

"Absolutely, love. You've made this day lovely."

She swallowed, biting her lip, "Let's not forget who saved who, Niall."

"Glad I did," he said, melting his lips over hers, feeling her hands bunch up his hair, taking hold of it.

She moaned, opening her mouth, inviting his tongue to dance with hers, licking her bottom lip, nibbling gently. She tugged on his hair, earning a laugh from him as she brought her leg up around his waist, the other leg following after.

"Hold onto me, I got ya," he said against her lips.

She obeyed, groaning as he carried her to his bedroom, gently placing her on top of the covers, directly in the middle.

He removed his jacket off her shoulders, throwing it down, placing his hands back on her face, capturing her lips in another sultry kiss that he felt shooting out of his toes. He felt his erection grow against his trousers as his hands slid down her neck to softly cup her breasts through her clothes. She moaned into his mouth, her hands sliding up the collar of his dress shirt, placing her palms over his chest.

"Ya alright?" He panted, pressing his lips to her neck, moving to her ear. "Ya wanna stop?"

Ariel hugged his body, as he pulled away to look at her, his lips swollen.

"No, I don't want to. Just a little nervous." She said, her eyes glassy. "Okay, a lot."

Niall smirked and sat up, just looking at her, "It's alright, we can take it slow."

Ariel sat up slightly, her head properly on the pillow, she looked back and smiled, "These pillows are huge."

Niall laughed, moving off her and lying on his side, propping himself on his palm, "Yeah, I like them that way. Like having someone here with me."

Ariel blushed, turning on her side, holding his hand, "I'm not really the person to spend this day with."

"I disagree. We can just lay here all night, staring at each other. I'll be just fine."

Ariel knew that wasn't true. "If that girl had shown up, none of this would have happened."

Niall shook his head, smirking, "How do ya know? Probably would have been lookin' at ya all night." He paused to laced his fingers with hers. "I _did_ see ya walk in with your mates before."

"That's hard to believe. You didn't know me, though. You could have just walked away, found someone else for the night." She said, wincing as she covered her face.

He brought her hands down, "No, I didn't think of it. I just sat down, I knew that's what you wanted."

She shook out her hands and rubbed her face, "I'm a mess."

Niall traced his finger from her neck to her cheek, turning her face. "I can help ya relax, love."

"Okay..." she let her voice trail off as he began tracing down her neck and further down until he reached the middle of her chest.

She shivered but he covered her mouth with his, getting back on top of her gently, making sure his body weight wasn't crushing her. His lips moved down until he pressed them against her neck, feeling her throat rumble under him. She shook when he moved down to her chest, slowly removing her shirt, throwing it to the side, and caressing her breasts. He slowly reached around to unclasp her bra, moving it away, and took in the sight in front of him.

"Beautiful, hey love, look at me please?"He asked her, touching her cheek. She opened her eyes, staring into his. "You're beautiful."

Ariel smiled slightly, touching his hand on her cheek. He kissed around her breast, taking it in his mouth, sucking softly, hearing her throw head back, moaning. His tongue flicked her nipple, lightly biting on it, repeating the same to her other breast, cupping them as he kissed his way down, pressing butterfly kisses below her soft stomach, touching the top of her jeans.

Ariel sat up, staring at him with cloudy eyes.

"May I?" He asked permission.

"Yes, please." She laid back down as he unbuttoned her jeans and slid them off along with her panties.

Her legs rose slightly but Niall placed his hands over them, "It's alright, I'm right here love."

"Hmm, I know." She mumbled, almost in a dream-like tone.

He smiled softly, kissing down her body until he reached her cunt, watching her face in anticipation for what he was about to do. He kissed her gently, his tongue slightly probing her entrance. Feeling the heat emanating, he opened his mouth and hungrily licked inside her, using his finger to stretch her out, adding another as he heard her moaning turned into yelling.

"Come for me, Mermaid Girl." He mumbled against her wet folds, feeling her clenching around his fingers that curled inside her.

"Niall...oh God..."

"Give it to me." He said, the reverberations of his deep voice sending her completely over the edge.

She shouted her release, Niall felt her juices flow through her entire body, he took everything she gave him, her hands finding his hair, tangling her fingers.

He moaned against her cunt, sucking gently on her pink lips, feeling the swell of heat from her intoxication.

"Niall?" She whispered, almost child-like.

He crawled up and kissed his way back up to her lips, seeing her eyes half closed. He pulled away, licking his lips. "Yes, love?"

She slid her hands up his chest, pulling his collar down so their lips were touching, "Make me yours."

"You already are."

Ariel opened her eyes, smiling as she smashed her lips over his. She worked on unbuttoning his shirt, her lips never leaving his. With his help, she finally had his shirt off, feeling the warmth off his virile chest, wisps of dark chest hair already dampened from sweat.

She slid off his belt and he helped her take off his pants, pulling down his briefs. She flipped him over, so now she was on top, kissing down his body, feeling her way down to cup his cock, pumping him gradually, then, faster. Niall stopped her.

"Babe, no, let me." He said, pulling her on his lips, turning her around as his dominance completely took over.

His fingers found her cunt, stretching her walls, feeling just how wet she is. Ariel bit her lip, pulling him down to touch her lips to his.

"Ready?"

"Mmm," she moaned against his lips as she felt him slide his tip inside her slowly. "Yes, it's okay, I'm alright."

"You're so tight, love. Just going slow for right now."

Ariel nodded, feeling him gradually slide himself completely inside. She lifted her legs around his waist, making him slide even deeper.

Niall thrusting came faster, picking up his pace as he kissed her strongly, sliding his tongue through her parted lips. She hugged his body when he moved faster, deeper, as his thrusting grew rougher and taunt.

He took her hands and held them on either side her.

"Close?"

"Nearly." She licked her lips, bucking her hips, and squeezed her cunt around his shaft.

"Fuck...you're driving me _crazy_ , love." He grumbled, his movements getting sloppy and his entire body was on fire when he felt his cock convulsing inside her.

"Let's-let's do it together?"

"My pleasure, yeh?"

"Uhuh..." she shouted, feeling her legs shake as her breathing labored, and her release came out just as she felt him fill her cunt generously, her own orgasm following after, pure bliss taking over.

Niall dove for Ariel's neck, sucking on the swell of her sweaty skin, licking the area for extra measure. He was sure he made a mark, but he was off in his own world with this woman now. Not much else mattered.

She moaned, still feeling her body shivering from her powerful release. She breathed deeply, trying to compose herself. But she couldn't, she was in heaven and she didn't want to leave, _ever._

"Ariel?" Niall asked her, sitting up to stare into her eyes. "Shite, we didn't use protection."

"I'm on the pill, if that helps."

"Umm, sorry, I got carried away, suppose." He said, slowly pulling out of her and collapsed on the other side.

She licked her lips, wondering what she was going to do after tonight. She wanted to keep seeing him, but she knew her time here was coming to an end.

She bit her lip and swung her legs around the bed, her clothes were everywhere. She was about to pick them up when she felt Niall's sweaty arms wrap around her protectively, she melted in the touch, feeling tears brim at her eyes. She still felt like she was dreaming of everything.

"Stay the night, please."

She hugged his arms and checked the time, 11:38 pm. She blushed, turning her head to the side.

"I have to be at work tomorrow." She said, regrettably.

"It's Saturday, though."

"I have a deadline to meet."

"I'll drive ya back early. Just stay...need to cuddle ya." Niall said, kissing her bare shoulder, moving her hair to kiss her back. "I need a good night's sleep after this."

"Well, I don't have anything to sleep in."

He smirked, kissing her softly, and hopped off the bed walking toward his dresser. He pulled out a long T-shirt and boxers, placing them on the bed. He got his change of clothes and put them on the bed as well.

"You can shower if ya like. I usually do. We swam, totally forgot. In fact," he said, leaning on the bed, pressing a small kiss to her shoulder. "I'll join ya."

She turned her face and pressed her lips over his, "Okay, thanks."

Niall led her to his enormous bathroom that looked doubled in size. Ariel's eyes widened but she didn't let Niall see how intimidated she felt. She smiled when he turned on the water, adjusting the temperature. Niall motioned for her to follow him.

When she stepped inside, she instinctively shut her eyes. The heat was pretty strong but it was perfect at the same time. Niall's arms slipped around her waist, gently, possessively cupping her breasts, his fingers lightly pinching her nipples.

She hissed, feeling his cock tease her cunt, she moved back slightly, feeling it slip out from the water splashing over her body. Her eyes were slightly open as she stared at him as if silently giving him permission once again.

She turned her head slightly, Niall closed the gap between their lips, snaking his hand to place his fingers inside her cunt, the heat scorching his skin.

"Love?" Niall asked, rubbing his hard cock against her cunt. "Tell me..."

"Yes, I want you. Right now." Ariel's tone was raw and needy, she craved him once more if only she could have him beyond the night.

He slid inside her completely, feeling her bite his lip as he filled her up with all he gave her. He kissed everywhere he could, all the spots of skin neglected and sucked on her neck, thrusting in and out of her.

He reached around, rubbing her folds, thrusting from behind, breathing deep as her tightness consumed him. Felt like stepping into his own personal heaven. The stuff of soulmates...maybe.

He was deliberately slow until she urged him to go faster, getting the green light, he picked up his pace, shoving himself deep inside of her, he was sure his balls made it inside too. She screamed as he fucked her faster, quicker, more passionate.

"Yeah?" She asked, moaning loudly.

"Uhuh, so fucking close, love."

Niall groaned as Ariel gasped into a loud screaming. Niall covered her mouth with his, sliding his tongue inside as his hot cum filled her entirely, feeling it sliding down her leg. He collapsed against her, leaning against the cold tile to steady himself and her.

"Oh God, that was..." she trailed off, her voice floated mid-air.

"Incredible? Yeah.." he panted, moving her wet hair from her shoulder to press a kiss on top.

Slowly, carefully he pulled out of her as she turned around to face him, licking her lips as she brought his lips to her, firmly and deeply kissing him like she didn't want this to end.

He slowed the kiss down and pressed a gentle one to her forehead, taking her shivering body in his arms, holding her flush against him.

"We should probably shower, yeh?" He smirked.

"Sure, I'd love that." She said, pulling away to get started on her end.

He followed her lead, cleaning himself off as they took turns rinsing themselves. After they realized they were getting pruny on their fingers, they decided to finish up, shutting off the water and stepped into some soft towels.

Ariel dried her hair off and ran a comb through it. "Do you have a dryer?"

"Of course," he pulled it out and placed it on the sink, plugging it in. "Hey, so I'm gonna make a wash, got enough for a load. Do ya want me to wash yer clothes?"

She hadn't thought of that, wearing dirty clothes isn't ideal, even if he was going to drive her back early. "That's so nice of you. I don't wanna be any trouble."

He kissed her cheek, walking out of the bathroom, "No trouble, love. I'm offering. Give ya some privacy. Clothes are on the bed." He winked and disappeared to take up their clothes to wash.

Ariel took a deep breath, needing it after everything that's happened tonight. She looked in the mirror and saw her skin was bright red, her entire body seemed to be glowing, all thanks to Niall. She smiled, thinking of him, this was crazy. So much had happened in such a short time. She almost didn't believe it.

She dropped the towel and hung it up to dry. She saw a new toothbrush still inside the package, was it for her? She shrugged, it probably was. She opened it and used it, putting it to the side when she finished.

She sighed and left the bathroom, walking to the bed to slip on the clothes Niall laid out for her. She smiled, they smelled like him, the super-soft material hugged her body like nothing else she felt. She sat on the edge of the bed, somewhat waiting for him to return.

She looked around his room until she saw something that caught her eye. She stood up and saw picture frames adorning atop the dresser. Curiosity getting the better of her for the second time, she walked to get a closer look. Several pictures of Niall in various moments frozen in time. One with an older man at a pub with greying hair, much taller, same eyes, nose, and smile. Complete doppelgänger. Was he Niall's father? She shook her head. Why was she so curious to know more about him? Maybe she wanted to and she was too damn curious to have him drive her back after tonight.

Niall playing golf in a few several photos were on the other end. A woman who had Niall's round and expressive eyes was placed at the front, embracing Niall lovingly. His mother? If not, she looked an awful lot like him. Ariel covered her face and moved back to the bed just as Niall walked in.

They smiled at each other, Niall dropped his towel, hung it up, and dressed for bed.

"I'll make sure they're clean for ya." He said, crawling on the bed and pressed a kiss to her neck and her cheek.

Goosebumps covered her forearms, "I don't know how I can thank you for everything tonight, Niall." She said, pausing to check the time. "Two minutes left of Valentine's Day."

"Does it have to be so final?"

She shrugged, leaning back as he motioned for her to curl up inside his arms. She rested her head over his shoulder as he held her, stroking her hair.

"I don't know, feels like it is."

He stroked her arm, "I don't see it that way."

Ariel closed her eyes, with a small smile, "You know where I always wanted to go?"

"Where's that?"

"Ireland, it just seems so beautiful from what I've seen and read. I had a dream about the Ha'penny Bridge recently."

"Did ya?"

"Yeah, it was just a dream, though."

A moment of silence, then Niall smiled, thinking.

"What if we didn't end after today?"

She stared up at him, feeling his fingers holding hers, "Well...wouldn't that go against the rules of today?"

"Love, did we do _anything_ today that _followed_ the rules? I'm glad I met ya, _really_ glad. And I don't want it to end there."

"Yeah?"

"Absolutely."

She sighed, feeling content in her happiness hearing him say that, "Why me?"

He stared down at her, claiming her lips with his, pulling away to brush his thumb across her button lip, "Because I'm not done being yours."

* * *

Ariel felt the bed shift as Niall rolled over, placing his arm firmly over her body, holding her to him. She smiled, she couldn't see him but she knew he was awake.

"Good mornin', Mermaid Girl," Niall's sexy gravelly voice came out, Ariel bit her lip.

She turned around to face him, his smiling face staring back at her. "Hey, Ireland," she blushed, covering her face. "Did I _really_ just give you a nickname?"

Niall laughed, throaty and manly, " _Yes,_ you did."

"Excuse me as I hide in my cringe." She said, her voice muffled through her hands over her face.

Niall sighed, blushing while he removed her hands and kissed each one. "Don't hide from me, love."

She bit her lip, noticing the bright lights peeking out through the curtains, "Just forget what I said, umm, I think I need to get up now."

"Sure, I'll get the coffee started. You want some breakfast?"

"Yeah, uh, I don't want you to feel like it's any trouble."

Niall leaned in, pressing his mouth against hers, "No, it's how I start me day, too."

She nodded, watching him get up, stretch a little, smirking at her as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Go on and wash up, I'll get it all started, meet me downstairs, yeh?"

"Okay, I'll be quick."

He stood up and kissed her hand, "Go on."

Niall disappear down the hallway, she heard his footsteps tread into the kitchen.

Ariel sighed strongly, not wanting to get up, staying here with Niall felt right and she didn't want to abandon that feeling. Cinderella had to go back to reality eventually, this wasn't a fairytale, no matter how much she thought she was living in one.

She got ready, took a quick shower, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. She ran a comb through her hair after drying it and checked out her makeup-less face in the mirror. So plain, so... _average._ She got lucky yesterday meeting Niall, but it's not like they're going to continue any of this. Not that she thought Niall was lying, maybe he just said that because that's what most guys said, but that was weird, they usually didn't say that after sleeping together. They get what they wanted, and that was that.

Ariel shook her head and turned off the light. Her clothes were more than likely in the living room where the laundry was. A small smile came to her lips as she peeked at Niall with his back turned, getting breakfast started. He had the radio on and it shuffled to the next song. Niall turned it up slightly, humming and singing the words to himself.

Ariel had a good show watching him act like a complete nerdy dork. He looked like a little kid singing out loud, she had to admit, he did have an alluring voice. She bit her lip and sauntered over to where he stood, sliding her hand up his chest. He laughed, almost shook when she did that, and grabbed her hand.

"All I want is to feel this way. To be this close, to feel the same." He sang out. "The evening speaks, feel it say..." He laughed at his silliness.

"Don't worry, I just saw all of that, will never unsee it. I wasn't recording it." She giggled, feeling him turn around and wrap his arms around her.

"Alright then, ya hungry?" He said, pulling away to gesture at what he was cooking over the stove. "I like a big breakfast, wanna help me eat it?"

Ariel leaned against the pantry door, propping her leg up, crossing her arms as she let him finish cooking, "That's a lot of fucking food, Niall."

"Hey, don't take the piss, I woulda cooked all this on me own anyway."

She leaned her head back, her head hitting the wooden board, "You wouldn't have been alone."

"You're right," he paused, looking up from his cooking. "Either way, you would have been here one way or another."

She flushed pink, looking down as she held her arm, "Maybe..."

Niall covered the pan, turning it off as he made his way over to Ariel, slowly looking into her eyes, cupping her face as he leaned in to kiss her sensually. "Woulda made sure of it, love."

She touched his hands over her face, feeling like this was one of those surreal moments that would be impossible to believe if she told anyone. She locked eyes with him, bringing him down before she could contain herself or the feeling left her completely.

Niall kissed down her lips, moving them to press them on her neck, his hands sliding under his T-shirt, grasping at her hardened nipples, squeezing them between his index and thumb fingers.

She was now in her own world and it was too late to return to reality. Cinderella is staying in the castle. No midnight interruptions. The glass slipper stayed on. The dream won't end, Niall wasn't going to let it, and she couldn't be happier. His lips dragged down her stomach as he pulled down his boxers from her hips.

"Love?" He asked, staring at her from below, licking his lips as he waited for her to allow him to continue.

"Yes! Don't ask me, it's _always_ yes."

"I like the sound of always, love. Mmm," he mumbled, vibrating his voice over the heat of her cunt, holding her legs in place so she stayed steady.

She parted her mouth, breathing hard as she felt him kissing her cunt gently. His fingers worked their way inside her, sliding in and out, feeling just how wet and hot she was. He pulled his fingers out, sucking them clean and curled them inside her, watching her breathing quicken. Her hands found his hair, giving it a tug.

"Bet I could make ya come twice, you're wet enough, I could feel ya getting close. Just let yourself relax, come for me, love." He said against her cunt, his tongue darting out to replace his fingers as he licked inside her heat.

"Yes, please..."

He plunged his fingers into her again, this time, three at once, feeling her whole body shake to its core. He had to hold her still so she wouldn't fall down suddenly. He licked at a quicker pace, her cunt rumbled against his mouth. He sucked her hard. There's no going back, she's going to come a second time if he had any say of it.

"Let go, love. Just let go." He said, fingering her folds as his mouth tried to keep up.

"Niall..." she whispered, grabbing onto him as she released everything her body can give him, smirking as she felt his tongue slide completely inside her.

"Babe, _fuck_ , you taste amazing. Can't get enough of ya." He growled, sucking her cunt until he couldn't anymore, forcing himself to let go, catching his breath.

She used him to keep from falling down. Niall stood up and helped her pull up the boxers, moving her hair off her shoulder to press a kiss on the curve of her neck. He moved his lips to hers, letting her taste herself as he kissed her deeply.

They leaned their foreheads against each other, she brought her arms around his neck.

"Okay, let's eat, yeh?"

"You just did..." she laughed, biting her lip.

"True, just had the appetizer, always got room for more," he winked, kissing her as he led her to the table.

He set up the table and brought over the food from the stove, serving himself, she did the same, sneaking a look at him as they ate.

She pushed her plate back and sipped her juice, wiping her mouth. "This is so nice of you. Probably the laziest morning I've ever had. But the best one in a while..."

He leaned back, locking eyes with her, "Do you want more? I made loads back there."

She shook her head, drinking the rest of her juice, sipping her coffee, "I'm fine...wait, what _time_ is it?"

He shrugged, looking at the clock, "Half 8, why? What time do ya need to be at work?"

"It's _what?!"_ She exclaimed, immediately standing up to charge into the living room to grab her phone.

She could feel Niall behind her as she booted her phone, waiting for the missed calls. She grit her teeth, impatiently waiting for her screen to load.

"Babe, what's wrong?"

"I'm an hour and a half late. Fuck! I don't know if I can make it on time now. I didn't call them. I _should_ call them."

Niall rubbed his neck as he watched her phone die in her hand, he went to grab his off the landline, "Here, use mine. Sorry love, forgot about the time."

Ariel shook her head, taking his receiver, staring at him, "It's my fault, this is _not_ good at all. It's gonna be 2 hours by the time I arrive there."

She dialed her work and waited.

"Maybe I could help." Niall offered.

She raised her brow, "How?"

He stuck out his hand, "Let me talk to them. I have an idea, trust me?"

Ariel's mouth pressed into a thin line, she had nothing left to lose if she was going to be fired anyway. She handed him the phone, watching him speak to whoever answered the call.

"Hello, yes. I'm calling on behalf of Ariel, that's right. I understand she's late and ringing you late right now. I see, well, right now she cannot make the call herself because she's taken massively ill. She's in the care of my people. Me? Well under me father's care, his name? Robert Horan, correct, _the_ Robert Horan. Absolutely, I'd take her the phone right now, but, it'll be much worse. She's severely ill, yes. Make it 4 days actually, correct. I'll make sure she is well and healthy by the time she returns to you. Why yes, I am Niall Horan, his son. Thank you lots. Be well." He clicked off and found Ariel sitting with her hands covering her face.

She took them off herself just as Niall sat beside her. A tear sliding down her cheek. Niall reached out his thumb to gently wipe where it fell. She turned to him, the corners of her mouth lifting up.

"I can't believe you did that for me. And, your father— _you're_ Robert Horan's son?"

Niall nervously ran his hand through his hair, smiling sheepishly, "Don't like talkin' about it. Me Dad is fairly known back home and here in Manhattan. I'm just his bloodline inheritance."

Ariel turned her body and leaned her chin over her palm, trying to read his story. "I see, so...I am severely ill for 4 days, did I catch correctly?"

He blushed, "I didn't want ya going into work today, had to think of something."

"Well...you gave me 4 days of freedom. Is there a reason for it?"

Niall closed one eye and took out his phone, fiddling with something. "Still feeling in the moment, love?"

Ariel gave a confused yet amused smile, "If I was, what of it?"

He finished and came to drop a soft kiss on her lips, "You're coming to me homeland. We're going to Ireland."

Ariel's face lit up, she was speechless, _Cinderella_ _lived_ _on indefinitely_ , she thought, "I can't help but say... _yes!_ I mean, wow, I can't believe this is happening."

Niall leaned in, melting his lips over hers, "Believe it, Mermaid Girl. Dreams come true."

She pressed her lips fervently over his, "I'm starting to believe all this is real. How far can we take it?"

He brushed her hair back, smiling as a sly dimple appeared, "That's the beauty of it, yasee, as far as we want, love."


	2. Ireland

* * *

Ariel took one look at her place and couldn't believe her luck in the last 24 hours. Smiling, she still felt like _Cinderella,_ only the fairytale wasn't over yet. Niall was on her couch, waiting for her to come out with her packed suitcase.

She was still in disbelief that any of this was happening. It was like Niall purposely ignored the chimes to Midnight and or he never even heard them. If she really was _Cinderella,_ what does that make him? A prince? He _is_ the son of the top Fortune 100 real estate multimillionaires in Manhattan and probably the top 5 in Ireland. 4 days, she reminded herself, she had _4 days_ with him. She can't imagine the competition she must be overriding, that intimidated her more than she cared to say.

But he picked her, why? Why did he go out of his way to not only protect her from being fired but, the way he held her, that magical feeling that only existed in her dreams. Maybe it's more than just a coincidental one-night stand. She finished packing and peeked at him scrolling through his phone.

He tore his attention away from his phone and smirked as he looked at her coming toward him.

"Ready to go, love?"

Ariel nodded, "What time is the flight?"

Niall logged into the airline app and checked the itinerary, "About 3 hours, depending on when they decide to officially take off. We're priority though, first class. We got an hour to kill until then."

She smiled, reaching for a drink from the fridge, popping the top off the bottle, "First class? Wow, don't think I've earned it."

"Why do ya say that? You're with me, you're not gonna travel all dodgy in commercial. Nothing wrong with that, just saying."

She shrugged, "Don't know, we won't get any looks, will we?"

Niall closed one eye, stood up from the couch, coming over to where she was in the kitchen. "And if there are, what of it?"

She took a swig of her beer, tapping the top on her bottom lip, "Nothing, I guess. Sorry, I brought it up. Just can't believe you're Robert Horan's son. This is a little..."

"What?"

"... _different_. I've never been around known people. It's kinda awkward."

He tilted his head and crossed his arms, leaning against her cupboard. "Why's that?"

She shook her head and finished her bottle, dropping it into the recycle bin. "No idea, I'm sorry, just a little nervous, I guess. Sorry..."

She placed her hands over her eyes, she felt Niall remove them gently, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Don't apologize. We can cancel the trip if you don't wanna go. Let me know what you wanna do, alright, love?"

Ariel scoffed, smirking as Niall placed his hand through her hair, feeling how soft her waves are, brushing it away from her pouty lips. "I honestly don't care what we do. I don't wanna cancel anything," she said, bringing her arms around his neck, pulling him close. "I just wanna be with you."

He grinned, kissing each corner of her mouth, "Wish granted, love." He whispered. "So...what do you wanna do for the next 50 minutes? Do ya wanna eat first, then get going? Plane food is rubbish."

Ariel leaned in to press her mouth on his, "Pizza? That always seems to solve the world's problems."

He kissed her softly, but she deepened it, opening her mouth slightly, brushing her tongue inside his mouth, feeling his tongue slide through her parted lips. She tugged on his soft, thick hair, smiling into their kiss. She giggled, nibbling on his bottom lip, eliciting a groan from his lips. He all but growled as she bunched his hair in her fingers.

"Or we could just eat each other." He laughed.

"That's the plan, huh?"

"It's _one_ of 'em." He smirked, kissing her cheek, pulling away to grab his phone to order a pizza. He looked at her, "What do ya want on it?"

She hugged him briefly, "Pepperoni and sausage, whatever you like is fine."

Ariel moved back to the couch, lying down as she checked her email, then placed her phone away. The sun was coming down, she could feel a slight draft begin to take over. She sat up and lit a few peppermint vanilla scented candles on the coffee table and shut off the TV.

Her mind drifted off to so many things at once, but the one she focused on was how the next four days were going to go. Niall was still a stranger, sure, but is he _really?_ Would a stranger make her feel this way? So... _safe?_ Hasn't been known to happen lately. She leaned back, resting her head gently on the throw pillow.

"What's on your mind, Mermaid Girl?" Niall's deep voice made her turn around as she blushed.

"Just thinking of you, that's all."

Niall raised his eyebrows, moving to sit on the other end of the couch, moving her feet on his lap. "Do tell."

"I was just thinking, why don't you feel like a stranger to me? It's like you said yesterday, it's only been 5 hours. It's been a day now, why does it feel longer?" Ariel asked, curiously biting her lip.

Niall felt his cheeks heat up, "Dunno, feels like it's been years like you're me best friend. It's interesting, isn't it?"

Ariel sat up, pulling her legs as she crossed them, looking at him shyly. "Very, I really like you."

Niall slowly reached to take her hand, holding it up to press a kiss on top. "I really like you too. I'm glad you're coming with me. Haven't been properly home in years. I have a feeling it's gonna be great, I'll make sure ya have fun."

She rang the stress out of her hands, "I'm nervous. I've never been outside the country before. Where are we going when we get there?"

He shrugged, "No idea. Probably arrive at Dublin International Airport, then see where we wanna go from there. I'm flexible when it comes to me homeland, I'll go anywhere, even more of a craic with someone I like."

Ariel smiled warmly, "Will we visit where you grew up?"

"I could see that, wherever we wanna go."

She smiled, looking down at her lap, "I'm excited to go, I imagine it's gonna be pretty cold."

Niall grinned, "Might wanna take ya wind jacket. And ya got me, am warm enough for yeh."

She leaned close, brushing her lips over his, "Kept warm all last night."

He pressed his lips against hers, opening his mouth to trace her bottom lip with his warm tongue. She smiled into the kiss as he gently hovered on top of her, slowly kissing her to the point of pure ecstasy.

He pulled away to cup her face, smiling sweetly, "You feel perfect in me arms. I fancy ya, Mermaid Girl. I got ya for 4 days. Not done being yours anytime soon, promise yeh."

Ariel licked her lips, sitting up on her elbows, he moved so he wasn't crushing her with his body weight, "All of this does feel right, doesn't it?"

He melted his lips over hers, moving her silky hair from her face, pulling away to press a kiss on her cheek. "Yeah, it does. Me life is pretty hectic, especially when it comes to work and just family stuff in general. The next 4 days are about us, though. So yes, this feels right, am happy you feel it too."

Ariel curled into his shoulder, clinging to his body with a contented sigh, leaning against his warm chest, his heartbeat singing a song only she could hear.

They heard a knock on the door, Ariel moved off him regrettably, watching him lean in to kiss her softly, and went to the door to pay for the pizza. He shut the door and placed the box on the counter, checking it. Ariel giggled.

"Yup, banger New York pizza coming right up!" He exclaimed, bringing the box over to the coffee table, placing the napkins in the middle of them. "Dig in, love."

She smiled as she took a napkin but paused, "Wait, we need more drinks."

Niall kissed her cheek, "I got it." He stood up to fetch two cold beers from the fridge and came back to the couch. "All is well."

Ariel smirked, taking out a slice, closing her eyes as she began eating, "Damn, as usual, this is the best pizza joint ever."

He took a big bite of his slice and nodded, "Fuck yeah, that's what I'm talking about."

They hit their slices together and laughed as they continued eating while staring at each other. Ariel took a swig of her drink, wiping her mouth on a napkin. Before she knew it, she already hovered 4 slices. Niall finished up his final slice eating as many as his body can take.

"Ya still hungry?" He asked her, taking a big sip of beer.

"Oh no, that's enough for me. Can't possibly eat anything else at the moment. What about you?"

He shrugged, "Nah, I'm grand. Just gonna clean up and wash me hands."

"I'll join you." She said, downing the rest of her beer and picked up the empty pizza box putting it on top of the trash can.

She followed him in the bathroom as he washed his hands, she washed after, drying them. Niall grabbed her waist suddenly, diving for her neck, burying his face near the heated thin skin. "Fuck, let's move the flight time. It's up to you, love."

Ariel turned her face just as he lifted his head and captured his lips, craving every inch of him. She giggled low in his mouth. "I don't know, I definitely don't want it to be quick. Not after last night. You still haven't let me make you feel good."

"Mmm," he moaned low, sliding his tongue through her eagerly parted lips. "What do ya wanna do, love?"

She groaned, pressing her mouth on his, covering his hands slowing snaking up her chest. "You're making this decision _so_ fucking hard."

"Then make it _not_ hard." He smirked.

She turned around and placed her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her lips, "How much time do we have?"

Niall took out his phone from his trouser pocket. "20 minutes, that's _not_ enough time for me. For _us._ "

"Are ya kidding? After last night? I need all week to plan _exactly_ what I want to do to you."

"Ugh!" He said, smashing his mouth against hers, feeling her tongue fight against his for power play. "I hate this, I could do this all day."

He knew they were going to be late if they continued. He peeled himself off by force just to control his urges. She's slowly becoming his addiction.

"Before I change me mind, let's get going, love," he said, kissing her as he took her bag. "It just looked heavy, sorry, ya mind?"

Ariel shook her head, "Not at all, where's your luggage?"

Niall texted someone, "With me driver. He'll be down in 10 minutes, we should probably go down there to meet him."

She nodded, taking her purse and holding his hand as they left her apartment, waiting for the elevator to take them down to the lobby.

They snuck a look or two at each other, wondering what's about to happen in the next 4 days. Ariel truly wanted this. It was her dream to travel to Ireland since she was a young girl. Meeting Niall is just a bonus. If she happened to meet the guy of her dreams traveling to the Emerald Isle, then she wasn't about to ignore her feelings. She had no idea what Niall was feeling, hopefully, it was good things since this was entirely his idea. He could have chosen anyone, someone more beautiful, but he picked her.

Niall smirked, the elevator dinged and they stepped out, waiting for his driver to pull up. He caught Ariel's eye and took in her features, she was stunningly beautiful, even with little to no makeup, not that she needed it, most girls don't, she was naturally breathtaking to him, even if he got the feeling she didn't think she was.

He squeezed her hand, smirking as she turned to glance his way, blushing, picking up her gaze on him gently. _Yeah, this is going to be worth it, I can feel it. Something about this girl, something...I just_ ** _don't_** _want to let go of,_ he thought.

Niall's driver arrived and they got in the backseat, making sure they buckled, Ariel sighed, looking at Niall who leaned to his driver, giving instructions. He leaned back and placed his arm around her shoulders, feeling her curl up in his arms.

His driver shook his head, "Young love," he muttered to himself as he closed the window to give them privacy.

Ariel lifted her head to stare at Niall's profile. He was better looking than most guys she met in clubs. His small stature fit her like a glove. His hands rested on her hips, slightly pulling her closer to him. She adored his protectiveness, it was unreal, she tightened her embrace around his slender, yet muscular torso. He smelled like sweet earth, mixed with vanilla, mint, and lavender. His cologne wasn't harsh, but comforting, she nearly fell asleep for a moment but caught herself, moaning as she found him staring at her.

"Ya tired, love?" He asked her, smiling sweetly.

She shrugged, "A little, it's not even _that_ late, sorry, you're kinda comfy at the moment."

Niall kissed the top of her head, "No worries. Once we get past all the customs and security clearances, you can relax on the plane. We got at least 6 hours. It'll be about 2 am New York time, ours, once we arrive, the morning will be here. Around 10 am in Dublin for the hotel check-in."

Ariel forced herself to stay awake as long as she could, "Amazing how much time zooms by passing through time zones. Least I won't be bored." She picked up her head, "I mean, well, it's gonna be hard not to touch you for 5 hours. In fact, that might help me stay up longer."

Niall raised his brows, "Is that so? I _did_ bring a pretty long blanket, we'll see what happens."

She blushed, leaning her head back on his warm chest. "Just a suggestion."

* * *

After they came to the gate, they made it through all the monotonous security measures, they began waiting until their plane arrived for taking off. Ariel looked around and noticed their flight wasn't crowded. Seemed as if there were barely 20 passengers waiting in the area.

Niall took her hand, leading her to sit down closer to the front gate. She laughed softly, even now, he seemed pretty prompt and well-organized, he wasn't kidding when he said that his life had a routine, it definitely rubbed off on him. She couldn't help but think she might have been disrupting his original plans. She caught his eye, smiling at him. Maybe she wasn't, the look in his eyes conveyed honesty. Something that was lacking in her previous relationship.

Niall seemed to keep staring at her and she wasn't sure why.

She cleared her throat, briefly checked the time, but decided to ask him anyway, just to hear his voice again, "What time is it?"

He took out his phone, "We have 10 minutes. They may call us early due to the lack of passengers. Which is weird, because, it's Valentine's Day weekend. You'd think this place would be packed. Me family knows the airline, I was able to get a red-eye at the last minute."

Ariel's mouth twitched, "Hmm, yeah, that is a little interesting, I guess. It was raining early but, I doubt it was the rain that made people want to stay away from the airport."

Niall brought her hand up to press a kiss against it, "Just as well, feels like we have the entire plane to ourselves."

She smirked, leaning back, "Well, it's not necessarily a _private_ plane. The flight attendants watch everything."

"Not them, they're very respectful and have known me for years."

Ariel closed one eye sarcastically, "I think I might be able to restrain myself for a few hours. Might."

Niall brought his hand down to her lap, playfully inching his way up her jeans, stopping just before her heat. "You sure about that?"

She swallowed roughly, taking a deep breath, this wasn't making it easy. "Niall...we're in public."

He pressed his mouth against her neck, eliciting a giggle from her throat. "I know that...just checking to see how awake you are, love." He whispered, moving his mouth up to her jaw over to her ear. "You passed the test, now you get the reward."

"Which is?"

"Remember that surprise I promised you yesterday?"

"Last night wasn't the surprise?!"

He shook his head, shrugging, "Well, it was nice, extremely, I'll never forget it. _But,_ I got a few surprises up my sleeve. Stay tuned."

Ariel smirked, narrowing her eyes, "I have no idea why I'm trusting you this much."

Niall leaned close to press a kiss over her lips, "Because ya like me. You like me _a lot._ I'm a hugely, massively, likable bloke. And you're just _too_ damn curious."

She leaned back in her seat, staring at him, "You might be right, I don't know what's coming, it's scary, but part of me is thrilled. My life is about control too. Do the same thing every day, not a whole lot changes."

"Get used to it, love." He smirked.

The overhead announcement alerted they were finally boarding, and First Class was their row. Niall shared a look with Ariel, they stood up, he took her hand in his, she brought her carry-on with her free one, her purse hung over her shoulder.

Niall loaded the airline tickets on the app, walking up to the attendants who scanned the QR code, verifying their admittance, he slugged his bag over his shoulder, walking through the gateway to the plane, gripping her hand so he didn't lose her.

Once inside, Niall led them to their seats, letting her take the window seat, he loaded their carry-ons into the overhead bin, securing the lid. He pulled out his long blanket before shutting the lid, taking his seat.

Ariel laughed, blushing as she watched Niall smooth out the blanket over his lap. "You're such a dork."

He smiled, laughing softly, "What? I get cold on planes."

"Then I'll warm you up."

Ariel touched his knee with her fingertips, sliding her fingers up to the top of the blanket near his hips, slipping her hand inside the blanket, touching his inner thigh. She moved her hand, inching her way closer to his crotch, feeling the heat, hearing him groan subtly. She pulled her hand out instantly.

"Well, guess you do _need_ the blanket after all."

Niall grimaced, his face was in pure agony, "Fucking tease. Yanno, love, we _are_ completely alone in here. The curtain is shut, on both ends. The attendants won't bother us."

Ariel blushed, covering her heated cheeks, "I don't know what's going on with me, am I being weird?"

"No, am really flattered you want to," he leaned close to her ear. "Just let me know what you want, love? I'll be _more_ than accommodating."

Ariel gulped, biting her lip as she watched him pull away. Maybe the thought of doing something naughty in public thrilled her just as much as going to Ireland, but, she really wanted to wait until they were alone. Getting thrown off the plane because she was selfish and wanted him so badly, wasn't right to him, no matter what he said.

She smiled sadly, hugging his torso, just being in his arms was enough. She could wait, she _will_ wait.

"Just another 4 1/2 hours left. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, of course. Just rest and we'll be there before ya know it." He whispered. "Hey, Ariel?"

Her eyes were beginning to shut, but she moaned in response, "Hmm?"

"Thanks for coming, I really needed this trip. I'm so glad you're here with me."

She moaned softly, placing her head over his heart, feeling its calm, steady beating, "I'm more glad, you're making my dreams come true."

He grinned, "Happy to."

Niall heard even breathing and knew she had fallen asleep in his arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. His arms secured around her, she had clung her body against him even tighter. He couldn't see her face, but all he envisioned was a contented smile, she was happy. _It's possible someone could be happy around me,_ he thought, a serious determination set over his features.

He was going to make sure she stayed happy for the next 4 days.

* * *

Several hours later, Ariel felt Niall's lips press against her cheek, kissing the corners of her mouth. Touching her chin with his fingertips.

"Love? Ariel? Mermaid Girl, we're here." He said, moving his lips over hers, feeling her kiss him back, smiling into the kiss.

Her arms found their way to his neck, pulling him closer to her as her lips touched his completely. "Mmm, we're here?"

Niall blushed, looking up as the attendants and captain averting their eyes, giving them privacy. "Yeah, it's about 2 am arrival for us. 10 am here. Do ya want me to help ya up?"

Ariel calmly opened her eyes and slowly reanimated awake, she shook her head, still partly asleep, "No, it's fine. Wow, we're actually here."

He took her hand, helping her stand up, and grabbed their bags. One of the attendants assisted with Ariel's carry-on, coming right behind them as they walked out of the gateway, back into the waiting area.

Niall held her hand, the attendant left Ariel's carry-on near her, he waved her off, thanking her as he placed his bag on the ground as he sent a text to his driver, or rather, his father's driver in Dublin, getting an immediate response. Niall rolled his eyes at how surprised they were that he was actually home again. _What is it with people saying this?_ He asked himself.

"Driver's coming up in the loading zone. They're gonna take us to the hotel. Are ya alright?"

"Yeah," Ariel nodded, grabbing the handle on her carry-on, feeling more awake now than she had been on the plane. "So, how does it feel to come back home?"

Niall smiled sheepishly, feeling like a little kid. "Feels familiar, suppose. Maybe when I go back to West Meath, I'll start to _really_ feel it."

She firmly held his hand as they walked toward the loading zone. "Nostalgia? Reminders of what's still there?"

He smirked as they got on the connecting escalator that led them outside. "You _could_ say that...among other things."

Ariel stared at his beautiful profile, his masculine slanted forward, worry-lines from stress no less, she reached toward his forward, touching the lines, seeing them vanish when he stared at her. The corners of his small, but plump red mouth rose up, she felt like he was really looking at her, that no one else was around. Literally, there was nobody around, but, it was like nothing mattered at that moment. Even in the dawn, she could see the sparkle in his oceanic blue eyes, abyssal-like in their depth, shining for her. 

The dream is real, _Cinderella_ never lost her slipper. The Prince turned the clock back several hours before midnight. Time was a mirage. They leaned closer until their lips touched gently, feeling themselves pull apart at the sound of a car horn.

"Let's go, we'll be in a bed shortly," Niall said, pressing a kiss to her hand, leading her over to the car, loading their bags inside, allowing her to go in first, with him right behind, making sure she got in safely.

Ariel was too wrapped up in Niall that she didn't notice she was completely in another country for the first time. She turned around inside the car, staring out at the scenery, at all the various views leading up to their hotel, _The Westbury_ , an infamous luxury logging in Dublin, near the airport.

Ariel's eyes expanded at all the sights of the countryside. It was so pure, almost magical that she was here. She pulled away to lean back, grinning so hard her entire face scrunched.

"I really don't know what to say...this is genuinely one of my biggest dreams coming true. I've heard stories, seen pictures, as a writer, it's—I don't really know how to feel right now." She said, feeling his hand holding hers.

Niall held her eyes with his, pressing his lips over hers, "Seeing your reaction is everything. It's like I'm seeing what I already know all over again, with a new appreciation."

She smiled, melting her lips over his, feeling his hand over her cheek.

Another 15 minutes gone by, and they were in front of what looked more like a castle and New York-style skyscraper hotel. Ariel's jaw dropped to the floor, she couldn't believe the vastness of this hotel. The perfect combination of modern and ancient, just like a fairytale. _Hers._

The driver opened the door, moving to make room for her to step outside. "Thank you." She said, stepping out with her mouth still hanging open, eyes as wide as saucers. "Oh my gosh."

Niall slipped his arms around her waist, leaning his chin over her shoulder as she stared on. "It's lovely, haven't been here in a few years after they remodeled it. I'm sure it's even better on the inside."

Ariel turned her face slightly, her lips inches from his, "I _have_ to see this. Can I?"

Niall touched his lips over hers, "Of course, love. Follow me."

She smiled, taking his hand while the concierge and bellman took their bags. Niall placed his arm around her protectively, just in case she wandered around. They made it to the front desk, signing in, the receptionist gave him the card key and they grabbed their bags, taking the elevator up.

Even the hallway looked regal, they were practically inside of a castle. Ariel laughed softly, _damn, just damn, could this trip be anymore Cinderella?_ She thought to herself, catching Niall's curious expression. She just shrugged, swinging his arm playfully as he opened their door.

"After you, love," Niall said, gesturing. "Right behind ya."

She walked in first, switching on the lights, gasping at the lushness of their suite. The last time she traveled, her company paid for a King Delux room, but it paled in comparison to this. Many homes have, quite frankly.

Ariel dropped her bag in the living room and looked around the entire suite, making sure it was even real, almost like Niall. Did everything between them actually happen? This had to be the longest dream she's ever had.

She found the bedroom, along with two other separate rooms, but, what interested her was the master bedroom with the King-sized bed. Cherry-wooden posts adorned each corner, Ariel's eyes traced the patterns craved into all sides, making it appear like it was made in the 1600s. There was something ethereal about the style.

Flowers dressed on both sides of the nightstands, daisies, lilies, and pink carnations in both bouquets. Ariel knew their smell from here, they were freshly cut, just placed, their beauty was unnerving. Tranquil in their manner, Ariel took everything in at once.

She smiled gently, feeling like this truly was a dream come true, walking to the bed, touching with her fingertips. She sat down, feeling the cushions of the comforters hug her curves in a way no other blanket could. Maybe Niall could, she scaled her eyes to meet his, as he came closer to the bed, placing both hands on either side of her hips, leaning close to her face, a curious smile spread over his lips.

"Do ya like it?"

She moaned, reaching to touch his cheek, "I am _in love_ with it. Can we not leave? Ever?"

He smirked, breathing over her lips, brushing his bottom lip on hers, "We just got here, if ya wanna stay in Dublin, let me know. Might do all of our sightseeing here. That could last 4 days, possibly longer."

"We'll see, everything is _perfect_ right now, I wouldn't change a thing." She said, brushing her lips to his, teasing him as he smiled against her mouth.

"Love, don't kill me, okay?" He whispered, almost as a playful warning. "Let me snog ya proper good, will ya?"

"Snog?"

He kissed her softly, "Soft snog." He pressed his mouth over hers, longer this time, feeling her moan. "Slightly passionate snog." He moved his mouth over hers once again, opening his mouth while she gave his tongue permission to chase hers, following wherever she went. "Loving snog. The proper one. I could do that to your _entire_ body."

She sighed, her heart beating incredibly fast, almost in a supernatural manner. "Give me the loving snog again, please?"

Niall swallowed slowly at hearing the urgency in her voice, commanding him to show her how he really felt for her. Stroking her cheeks, he smiled slightly, even in the dimness of the room he could make out her flushed cheeks, was it because of him? Maybe, deep within he wanted to be the one to do that to her.

"Of course, love, _anything,"_ he whispered, his lips touching hers softly, feeling her hands sliding up his chest, slipping into his dress shirt.

With slow, slightly shivering hands, she removed his shirt, casting it away. She breathed in deeply, being nervous was the last thing she wanted and it would spoil the mood of the moment. But, unfortunately...

Niall sensed her apprehension, pulling back to cup her face.

"Love? Do you wanna stop?"

Ariel fought through her pathetically involuntary spasms. She shook her head, valiant in fighting herself back to a semblance of normalcy. Why was she so nervous of a sudden?

She winced, pulling away to hide in complete and utter embarrassment. She just wanted to crawl in a hole and never come out.

Why was she acting like the person she had been in high school? It was just sex, he was a stranger. It wasn't like a crush she had gotten to know and fell for. But, why did she want to take her time with him? Maybe she wanted him to be that guy she stared at from a distance. Maybe...

"Babe?" Niall asked gently. "Are ya alright?" Feeling the bed shift on her side, she took her hands off her face, staring up at the ceiling, it was the safest place she could look, his eyes would suck her back into the bliss she wanted to bathe in. "I'm just as happy laying here with you as I am doing anything else."

Ariel smirked, feeling a laugh escape her lips. "I really want to. I'm sorry."

Niall brought his hand to her face, turning it gently, "It's okay if you're tired, let me know. It doesn't matter to me. _This_ is enough for me."

Ariel turned on her side, taking his hand in hers, "Maybe a little. I just want to remember everything these 4 days."

He held his arms out, "Come here, I wanna cuddle ya."

Ariel inched closer until she was enveloped inside his arms, leaning her face in the crook of his shoulder. "Gosh, you are _really_ warm. I didn't realize how cold I was."

He sat up, "Are ya cold, cuz I could adjust the—"

She rose to place her lips over his, keeping him still. "No, don't leave or I'll freeze."

He laughed, it was music to her ears, "Okay love, tell me what you need."

She pulled away to stare at him with a sly smile, "You worry way too much. Has anyone ever told you that?"

His mouth twitched as he blushed, "Me Mam. I get it from her, probably. Sorry, just, I tend to care for people a bit too much. Especially ones I like."

"I feel almost too safe. Yanno there could have been a lot of ways to risk getting arrested. But you followed whatever I wanted to do yesterday. That felt like a rule to me."

Niall captured her lips in a swift but strong kiss that she didn't want to break away from. "Still not a rule, love. You were the exception to the rule, _my_ exception."

After a long moment of silence, Ariel cleared her throat, feeling the fatigue begin to consume her. "Do you wanna get ready for bed?"

Niall yawned really loudly, on purpose, slightly obnoxious. "Not tired at all."

She giggled, "Well, it _is_ pretty late." She checked the time on the nightstand. "3 am our time. I think I'm gonna start fading soon."

He leaned in to kiss her forehead, moving off the bed to unzip his bag and grab his toiletries. "I think it's me time too. I'll get washed up, you're welcome to do the same. Meet ya back in comfier clothes?"

"Yeah...sounds good." She said, dragging her body up to pull out her bathroom stuff, walking to the opposite bathroom.

She got inside and shut the door, keeping it open. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, feeling like she should take a quick shower before bed.

She stripped off her clothes, grabbing a big white towel, placing it away.

She turned on the water, adjusting the temperature, she really wanted it warm to the point of hot. She was feeling cold without Niall's arms around her. That sounded perfect right now. Could she call to him? Would he hear her?

She frowned as she stepped inside, shutting the glass door, closing her eyes as the warm water covered her eager body. Her hand slipped down her belly, trailing to touch her cunt, sliding her fingers inside. She pumped her digits in and out a few times, feeling her legs shaking as she touched the wall to support herself from falling. Niall's electric eyes came into, his everything powered her fingers to reach her release faster.

She came fiercely, leaning her hot forehead against the coolness of the tile, smiling with a dreamy look in her eyes.

Ariel switched off the shower, stepping into the soft towel near her. She closed her eyes then opened them gently. She was completely relaxed, and ready for sleep.

She left the bathroom and went to her suitcase, unzipping it to pull out her soft sleeping clothes. She looked up when she pulled up her PJ pants. Niall's cute eyes were staring at her. He was already in his boxers and a plain white t-shirt.

"Hey..."

"Hi there, _damn_ , you are _so_ beautiful," he said, crawling over to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs over the edge, staring up at her as if to get a better look.

Ariel almost laughed, no makeup, in her PJs, bulky ones at that. How could any of this ensemble be appealing? "Yeah...that's _totally_ why I wore this."

Niall cupped her face, leaning in to kiss her softly. "You're lovely..."

Residual passion was left from the shower, she bit her lip as she saw him advancing toward her.

Ariel stared down at him as she leaned to close the gap between their lips. "You know, I never properly thanked you for everything you've done for me."

Her fingers trailed down his neck, moving over his chest, gently pushing him onto the comforter. Niall knew what was coming and held her eyes before it happened.

"You don't have to, love. It's not necessary."

She moved to capture his lips with hers, parting them gently to allow her tongue to briefly slip inside, "I want to."

She slinked downward, sliding his T-shirt up planting kisses over his stomach area, feeling him move as he took in a hissed breath. She stared up at him, hooking both hands on his boxers, slowly, teasingly sliding them down his hips, watching his cock harden in seconds.

She took his shaft, bringing it to her lips, licking the tip in a small swirl, pre-cum glistening off the top. She placed her lips on top, sucking him slowly, lovingly.

"Oh fuck..." Niall panted, feeling her take him completely in her mouth, releasing him with a slight gag.

She underestimated his girth, taking him in again but not completely, giving her throat a rest as she pumped him, twisting her hand around him, her other hand cupping his balls, her mouth dropping to suck each one. More pumping as she bobbed up and down, sucking his tip each time she pulled back slightly.

"Am close, Christ, love..." Niall breathed out, biting his lip as his fingers felt for her, and brushing it back, out of her face so he could stare in her eyes as she took him as deep as she could.

She twisted him harder, squeezing his balls, feeling him thrust abruptly in her mouth. "Mmm."

"Sorry ifI hurt you, love, fuck, that was, ah Christ," he confessed, letting his hot cum fall out of him and inside her mouth.

She swallowed every last drop of him, pulling away to kiss his tip sweetly as it fell flaccid to the side, slowly softening.

Ariel wiped her mouth and smiled thinly when Niall suddenly lunged at her, making sure his body completely overpowered hers, trapping her in his sudden need for dominance.

His lips came to her neck, whispering against her skin. "Love, I can't just let you get away with that. Relax, close your eyes." He said, peppering her with tiny kisses along the curve of her neck.

Ariel breathed out, feeling like his kisses were specs of golden stars she'd want to keep forever. He lifted her shirt, above her breasts, kissing, suckling, and caring for each one, taking them in his mouth as he looked at her, watching her reaction closely as he paid attention to every detail of her body.

He kissed down her belly, moving her pants lower as he kissed her bare legs, moving her pants aside. He kissed her inner thighs, trailing his lips toward her heat, smelling her sweetness as his fingers touched her through her panties. Her skin shivered into goosebumps. Niall's warm hands covered them as his fingers found her panties, treacherously removing them at a pace where Ariel had a question if it was really happening.

She moaned, sitting up on her elbows as she watched him slide them completely off her body, kissing every inch of her skin down the way. Staring at her, almost hesitantly before dipping his head down to brush his tongue tentatively along her slit.

"Niall?"

"Yes, love?"

"Please? I need you..." Ariel begged him, Niall found it difficult to refuse her.

" _Absolutely_ , love," he said, warm breath over her heat, his tongue slid inside of her while his finger followed right behind, rubbing her wetness, easily sliding inside with two fingers, then three.

"Oh my God!" She screamed, her hand found his hair, grabbing it gently, then roughly. She popped her eyes open, her breathing labored, "I'm so sorry."

Niall laughed into her cunt, sucking her pink wet lips as she pulled away to squeeze her breasts. "How hard can ya pull me hair, love?"

"I'll try not to, I _love_ when your tongue goes deep inside me. Feels so fucking amazing."

"Alright, I need ya to come for me, let's go." He grumbled, mumbling over her heat, pumping his fingers harder, faster, more fervent.

"I think I am, yeah, I am, _fuck!"_ She shouted, feeling her body pass through a white-hot energy that she wanted to stay in as long as she could.

"Mmm," he sucked hard on her cunt, feeling her sweet juices dribble down his chin. " _Fuck_ , love, do it again."

His fingers drummed hard inside of her as he felt her body shake again, smirking when she came a second time, her cunt swollen when he licked inside her a final time, lapping everything she gave him.

Niall pulled away to catch his breath, collapsing on the other side, feeling Ariel's hand stroking his cheek.

"I still need you." She whispered, he rose up and ghosted his body over hers, his semi-hard erection poking her inner thigh.

"So do I," he said, looking down at his hand holding his growing cock, leading it to brush along her entrance. "Yes?"

She nodded, pulling the back of his head toward her face, smashing her lips to his, tasting herself. "Mmm, give me all of you."

"Yes, love," He kissed her softly, pushing himself gradually inside of her. "Let's go slow, take our time, yeh?"

Ariel bit her lip as she stared into his fierce blue eyes, drowning in their depths, he thrust himself inside of her deeper this time, feeling him pulsating inside her walls. She clenched around him, pulling his face to hers, smashing her lips over his.

"You're killing me, Niall," she whined, clenching even harder around him, eliciting a groan from his lips.

"Fuck, stop doing that, or I'll cum right away."

"But I _want_ you to, please, you're so gentle, I mean, I've never had a guy go slow before." Ariel realized what she confessed, he slid inside her, opening his eyes. "I'm just not used to it. It feels different. Like we're not fucking, like we're..."

"What if it's something else, love? I don't wanna be fast, now."

Ariel wanted to cry, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, it almost sounded like he wanted to...make love.

Niall melted his lips like butter over her lips, cupping her face as he picked up his pace, just as she requested. "I just want this to last. I'm holding back because I want to cum with you. You have to cum, I don't care about me."

Ariel's fingers touched his sweat matted face, feeling the perfect combination of cool and hot over his skin. "Niall..." she breathed, subtly clenching her cunt around his cock. "This will last, trust me. Don't worry so much, just let yourself go. Let me feel you..."

He groaned, letting her win, he was holding back at least 5 times, 6 until now. He could feel her cunt vibrate suddenly, her moaning grew louder, his thrusts accelerated more when he began rubbing her clit. He sucked on her neck, pulling away before he made a mark on her delicate skin, he kissed along her jaw, her chin, then found her lips as she moaned to the point of screaming.

"Fuck, your noises are driving me mad, love." He growled in her ear, she lifted her legs to allow him to go deeper inside, giving him complete control over her reactions. "Yeah?"

Ariel nodded as her lips find him, she lowered her legs as they started to shake, she knew she was there, was he?

"Alright, anything for you..."

"Please don't...hold...back..." she whispered, trailing off as she thrust her hips, bucking them when he laced their fingers, feeling his body convulse within her.

They came together, passionately as Ariel's walls clenched hard around him. She felt him thrust himself just as strongly inside her, hugging her body against his, cocooning her in his arms. He released himself inside her, panting ravenously, breathing erratically against her neck.

Ariel tried to catch her breath, her heart beat quickly, her legs shivered from the emotions that took control over her. _I'm falling for him, how is any of this possible? Cinderella fell for the Prince on night one, this is_ ** _not_** _the same._ She thought, embracing him as her tears brimmed at the edge of her eyelids, threatening to spill.

They stayed that way for another long moment, both attempting to bring themselves to a version of normal. Niall pulled away, staring into her slightly closed eyes.

"Ariel? Are ya there?"

She nodded, feeling her eyes begin to water, she had to stop them before they fell, she found it difficult to look at him, realizing this was not a dream. Truly scary shit in front of her.

"Yeah...I think so..."

Niall laughed softly, leaning down to kiss her slowly and deeply, pulling away to kiss her nose. "You feel amazing, this is gonna hurt a little bit, love, alright?"

He pulled out of her and her sore cunt missed him instantly. He leaned on his back with arms over his head, staring up at the ceiling. Ariel watched him close his eyes then reopen them.

 _Yeah, I know the feeling,_ she thought to herself, moving to curl herself under his arm, she needed to, she needed _him_.

"Hey, Niall?"

He placed his arms around her frame, smiling sweetly when he heard her small voice, "Yeh?"

"Do you know any Irish?"

"The language?"

"Yeah, that's the spoken tongue here, isn't it?"

"Hmm, in school I studied, dunno. Think I forgot it. Unless I go to me church. Why?"

"Say something in Irish Gaelic for me?"

"You mean, like, póg mo thóin?" He smirked, feeling silly that he actually said those words to her. "I just said the most popular slang in me hometown..."

"What's that mean?"

"Just something me mates say to each other to take the piss. Basically, kiss my arse."

She laughed, her stomach rumbled as he held her. "Well, that says a lot about you, now, does it?"

Niall was quiet for a moment, leaning his chin over her shoulder, even if he can't see her cat-eyes, he imagined them staring right through him.

"Let's get proper dressed."

"Okay." She agreed.

He pulled away to grab his boxers and handed her clothes over as they dressed.

"Come here, you..." He said, beckoning her to lay on his shoulder, she smiled and slipped under the covers, spooning as held her.

He cuddled into her, breathing in deeply, feeling nervous as his heart spoke for him.

"Umm, forgive me, it's after 3 am, but, okay then, here goes...tá aithne agam ort ar feadh 2 lá agus táim ag titim ar do shon cheana féin."

She turned her face to the side, "What does that mean?"

He nuzzled his nose into her shoulder, shutting his eyes.

"I'll tell ya in the next 4 days, love."


End file.
